This page covers how to apply for a travel document if you’re not an Australian citizen.
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Australian passports are for Australian citizens only. We issue travel-related documents to certain non-citizens to help them travel overseas.
If you're not an Australian citizen, you may be able to get a travel-related document if you're:
recognised as a refugee under the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol
about to leave Australia, and you're either a stateless person or you can't get a valid travel document from your country of nationality.
When you apply for a travel-related document, we'll assess your situation and decide which document you may be eligible for.
We may ask you to provide proof that you can’t get a travel document from your country of nationality. This proof could be a letter from your country's embassy explaining why they cannot issue a travel document. If you can’t get this letter, you can explain why in a B-11 form.
If you're stateless, we'll confirm your status with the Department of Home Affairs. An Australian immigration document showing ‘stateless’ as your nationality is not sufficient proof.
You’ll also need to meet the visa and travel document requirements of the countries you travel to.
The travel-related documents we issue are:
Convention Travel Document (CTD)
Certificate of Identity (COI).
These documents don't mean you're an Australian citizen. They don't give you the right to re-enter or remain in Australia.
Convention Travel Document (CTD)
Certificate of Identity (COI)
A CTD is also called a Titre de Voyage (TDV). A CTD may be issued to non-citizens who are either:
living in Australia with a valid visa, and recognised as a refugee under the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol
living in Australia without a valid visa and unable to get a travel document from their country of nationality.
CTDs are valid until the expiry date on the CTD. After this, you need to apply again.
A COI may be issued to non-citizens in Australia who are:
about to leave Australia
stateless or unable to get a travel document from their country of nationality.
COIs are valid until the expiry date on the COI. If you return to your country of nationality and you're able to get a travel document from that country, your COI is no longer valid.
Step 1. Get and complete the application form
The only way to get an application form is to call us on 131 232.
You'll need to show us your identity documents and any previous CTD or COI we’ve issued you.
You'll also need to show us a record of your current visa status that includes:
Document for Travel to Australia (DFTTA) issued at the time you first travelled to Australia
Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) printout
Department of Home Affairs visa grant letter.
Your name on the application must be the same as your visa. If any details on your visa have changed or are different, you’ll need to lodge a Change in situation(Opens in a new tab/window) request with the Department of Home Affairs.
If you lodge your CTD or COI application before the outcome of this request, we may not be able to issue the travel-related document if we don't have enough information to determine your eligibility.
Step 3. Lodge your application and pay the fee
You’ll need to lodge your application at a passport office. Call us on 131 232 to make an appointment.
Bring your completed application form, identity documents, and any other required documents to your appointment.
You'll also need to pay the relevant travel-related document fees. You can pay by EFTPOS, MasterCard, or Visa only. We don’t accept cash payments at our passport offices.
When you lodge the application, we’ll ask you to sign a letter to confirm you understand:
the terms set out when applying for a CTD or COI
it's your responsibility to tell the Department of Home Affairs about your new travel document
it's your responsibility to confirm with every country you intend to visit that you meet their entry, exit and transit requirements.
If you breach your visa conditions, your visa could be cancelled.
Applying for a child
If you apply for a CTD or COI for a child, you'll need to meet our criteria for parental consent.
If you’re giving consent for a child who entered Australia as an unaccompanied humanitarian minor (UHM) and is under the guardianship of the Minister for Immigration, you'll also need to complete a B-3 form.
Our normal 6-week timeframe does not apply to these applications. We’ll notify you once we've processed your application.
If you're not happy with the outcome of your decision, you can apply for it to be reviewed.
If you ask for a review, we'll appoint someone who was not part of the original decision-making process. This decision-maker will either:
affirm or vary the decision under review
set the decision under review aside and make a substitute decision.
We'll notify you of the outcome once the review is finalised.
To apply, you must write to us within 28 days of receiving the initial decision. You must also explain why you’re seeking an internal review. There's no fee for lodging a request for a review.
